The present invention generally relates to wellbore flow control devices and, more specifically, to improved flow control devices and methods of use thereof.
In hydrocarbon production wells, it is often beneficial to regulate the flow of formation fluids from a subterranean formation into a wellbore penetrating the same. A variety of reasons or purposes can necessitate such regulation including, for example, prevention of water and/or gas coning, minimizing water and/or gas production, minimizing sand production, maximizing oil production, balancing production from various subterranean zones, equalizing pressure among various subterranean zones, and/or the like.
A number of devices are available for regulating the flow of formation fluids. Some of these devices are non-discriminating for different types of formation fluids and can simply function as a “gatekeeper” for regulating access to the interior of a wellbore pipe, such as a well string. Such gatekeeper devices can be simple on/off valves or they can be metered to regulate fluid flow over a continuum of flow rates. Other types of devices for regulating the flow of formation fluids can achieve at least some degree of discrimination between different types of formation fluids. Such devices can include, for example, tubular flow restrictors, nozzle-type flow restrictors, autonomous inflow control devices, non-autonomous inflow control devices, ports, tortuous paths, combinations thereof, and the like.
During production operations, tubular and nozzle-type flow restrictors are typically arranged longitudinally in a housing coupled to a base pipe, such as a production tubular. Such flow restrictors generate a large pressure drop across the flow control device in order to regulate fluid flow into the base pipe at that particular location. The fluid discharged from such flow restrictors, however, exit the flow control device at a high velocity fluid, thereby requiring the housing to provide an area where the fluid force may dissipate before entering the production tubing. Without an area used to dissipate the fluid force, the exiting fluid could erode portions of the housing, and thereby potentially result in the failure of the housing by blow out or mechanical failure.